Picker-stem and mechanism for operating the same



(No Model.)

G. N. TODD. PICKER STEM AND MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

Patented Sept. 20, 1892. Y

Elllllll 'me oms Penas cu., Punvommu., msmnemn. o. v:`

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

GEORGE N. TODD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TODD COTTONHARVESTER COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

.4 PICKER-STEM AND MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION vforming part of Letters Patent No. 483,121, datedSeptember 20, 1892. Application filed November 15, 1886. Serial No.218,852. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern: disk being provided with half-bearings for aBe 1t known that I, GEORGE N. TODD, a citiseries of radially-projectingpicker-stems A, zen of the United States, residing in Chicago, theremaining half of the bearing being furcounty of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have innished by the disk of the section of the sup- 55 5yented certain new and useful Improvements port next adjoining, theadjacent sections bein Cotton-Harvesters, of which the following ingfirmly united together by bolts passing 1S a SpelfcatlOn. through saiddisks between the bearings theren This invention relates to animprovement in. The sections are thus united, thus conincotton-harvesters, in which are mechanstituting supports fora number ofhorizontal 6o Io isms for rotating the picker-stems upon their series ofpicker-stems. Between each adjao'wn axes and introducing them betweenthe cent pair of disks is formed a chamber d, in limbs of a cotton-plantat regular intervals, which is located a circular rack or gear c, rigthestems being provided with a toothed suridly secured to the stationaryshaft c, into face for engaging the cotton and withdrawing which meshthe gears on the inner ends of the 65 I 5 1t from the boll. picker-stemssecured between the disks and k The prlmary object of this invention isto having a bearing therebetween near the peprovide mechanism forsupporting and operripheries thereof.

atlng p1cker-stems of novel construction, com- For convenience of accessto the set-screws bining simplicity, durability, and economy in workingthrough the hubs of these annular 7o 2O a greater degree than hasobtained in the congears and securing the same to the stationarystruetions heretofore in vogue. shaft I provide small openingsfin theupper Other objects are to have a sectional supdisk of each adjoiningpair or the lower disk port of such character that adjustment and ofeach section,through which a wrench may alterations of the mechanismmaybe readily be inserted to loosen up said screw, so that 75 z 5effected in which the driving and driven gears the sections may be slidvertically upon the are protected and concealed and in which the shaft cwithout the necessity of separating sections of the supports themselvesconstitute one section from another. bearings for the picker-stems andto provide For the upper disk on the topmost section certain other noveldetails of construction and is substituted a gear g, to which power isap- 8o 3o arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter plied forrotating the support as a whole about more specifically described, andset forth in the vertical shaft, and, if desirable, a sprockthe claims.I accomplish these objects by the et-wheel may also be cast therewithfor comdevices illustrated in the accompanying drawmunicating power' tothe cleaner-brushes 71 ings, in which* which consist of a series ofhorizontal rotat- 85 3 5 Figure l is a detail sectional elevation of aing disks having one face thereofcovered with portion of acotton-harvester embodying my teeth orbristles which engage thepicker-stems invention, showing mechanism for operating during theirpassage beneath them and brush d and cleaning the picker-stems and thestems from them the cotton already gathered; but I lying in a horizontalplane; Fig. 2, a similar as these cleaner-brushes in detail constitute9o 4o view of a modification of my inventiomshowpart of thesubject-matter of a separate aping the picker-stems inclining downwardlyplication I will not more particularly refer to from their support;Figs. 3 and 4, detail elethem herein. vation and plan view,respectively, of the The lowermostseries of picker-stems or, ifpicker-stem supports. desired, all of the series, as illustrated in Fig.9 5 45 Similar letters of reference indicate the 2, may be made toincline downwardly, so as same parts in the several figures of thedrawto lift up the limbs of the plant while workings. ing on the same,and thus effectually remove i The pickersten1 support consists of aseries the cotton from fallen or hanging limbs withof disks a, cast, twoof them being cast upon out the danger of injuring the same, and it loo5o the ends of a hub l?, of the desired length, will be found ofespecial value to incline the sleeved uponastationary vertical shaft c,each lowerrnost series because of the tendency of the lowermost limbs ofthe cotton-plant to ,lie almost upon the ground, and especially if fullbearing. This inclination of the stems may be readily produced. bycasting the disks a ct slightly conical or umbrella-shaped instead ofhorizontal, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the cleaner-disks of necessitybeing inclined ina like manner.

Having described my invention,` what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. In mechanism for operating picker-stems, a sectional stem-support theopposing adjoining faces of whose sections are provided with bearingsfor the picker-stems,.substantially as described.

2. In a sectional support for pickerstems, a section composed of twodisks, one on each end of a hub, the outer faces of which disks areprovided with one-half of bearings for picker-stems, substantially asdescribed.

3. In mechanism for operating picker-stems, a stationary vertical shaftand annular gears or racks rigidly secured to said shaft, in comwith thehub h, disks a a, cast therewith, said hubs being sleeved on shaft c andthe opposing adjacent disks of adjoining sections being bolted together,picker-stems projecting radially froml said disks, having bearingstherebetween, gears on the ends of said pickerstems engaging the rackse, and mechanisms for rotating the said disks about the shaft c,substantially as described.

GEORGE N. TODD.

Witnesses:

W. W. ELLIOTT, WILL R. OMoHUNDRo.

